1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable steps to aid mechanics in maintaining and repairing motor vehicles and, more particularly, to portable steps that are supported by a vehicle tire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mechanics must work under the hood of a motor vehicle, and, to do so, they often stand on the horizontal surface that supports the motor vehicle. However, there are many motor vehicles which stand so high off of the horizontal support surface that it is difficult for a mechanic to stand on the horizontal support surface and still be able to work under the hood of the motor vehicle. A solution to the problem of enabling a mechanic to work under the hood of a motor vehicle that stands high off of the horizontal support surface is the development of a tire step which is supported by a tire of the motor vehicle and permits a mechanic to stand on the step to gain elevation to enable the mechanic to work under the hood of the motor vehicle.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to tire steps, and the following U. S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,378,678, 4,782,916, 4,947,961, 5,133,429, and 5,456,479. It is noted that, with each of the above-listed patents, a tire step is provided which has a single step which extends outward from the side of a tire wheel. It would be desirable, however, for very high vehicles, if a second step would be provided that is located above the step that extends outward from the side of the tire wheel.
Another feature in each of the above-listed patents is also noted. Each patent provides a tire step which has a U-shaped structure that fits over the top of a tire on which the respective tire step is installed. Each tire step is retained in position on the vehicle tire by the cumulative weight of the tire step and the person standing on it and by the friction between the U-shaped support structure and the tire. If the tire were wet, the friction between the U-shaped support structure and the tire would be greatly reduced. For this reason, it would be desirable if a tire step were provided which exerts a forceful grip on the tire or wheel to assist in retaining the tire step in a desired position on the vehicle tire.
Still another feature would be desirable in a tire step apparatus. That is, when the tire step apparatus is not in use, it would be desirable if the apparatus can be folded up into a storage orientation that is relatively compact.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use tire steps, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a tire step apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides a second step that is located above a step that extends outward from the side of the tire wheel; (2) exerts a forceful grip on the tire or wheel to assist in retaining the tire step in a desired position on the vehicle tire; and (3) can be folded up into a storage orientation that is relatively compact when the apparatus is not in use. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique tire step apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a step apparatus for use with a vehicle tire and includes a first step assembly which includes a first step portion and a pair of first struts extending upward from the first step portion. A second step assembly includes a second step portion and a pair of end bracket members extending downward from the second step assembly. Each of the end bracket members includes a front bracket portion and a rear bracket portion. Hinge members are connected between the first struts and the front bracket portions. A pair of pawl assemblies are connected to the rear bracket portions. When the tire step apparatus is installed on a tire, a person can step up on the first step portion and the second step portion.
Each of the first struts includes a stop member for contacting the tire when the apparatus is installed on the tire. A first tread plate is attached to the first step portion, and a second tread plate is attached to the second step portion. A brace member is connected between the rear bracket portions.
Each of the pawl assemblies includes a pawl hinge connected to one of the rear bracket portions. A pawl plate is connected to the pawl hinge.
The front bracket portions have a front bracket length, and the first struts have a first strut length. The first strut length is greater than the front bracket length, whereby the first step portion is placed in registration in a nested relationship with the second step portion when the first step assembly is placed in a storage orientation or condition with respect to the second step portion.
With another embodiment of the invention, each of the pawl assemblies includes a pawl bias spring connected between the rear bracket portion and the pawl plate. Each pawl plate includes pawl teeth located on an outside edge of the pawl plate. Each pawl plate includes a pawl handle for manually operating the pawl plate. More specifically, each of the bias springs is connected between a respective pawl handle and a respective stop member.
With another embodiment of the invention, a third step assembly is connected to the first step assembly by means of additional hinge members. The third step assembly includes a third step portion and a pair of second struts extending upward from the third step portion. The third step assembly includes second stop members attached to the first struts of the first step assembly. Step-to-wheel support members are connected to the first step assembly and rest on the vehicle wheel or tire when the tire step apparatus is in use on the vehicle tire.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least two preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved tire step apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved tire step apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved tire step apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tire step apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such tire step apparatus available to the buying public.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tire step apparatus which provides a second step that is located above a step that extends outward from the side of the tire wheel.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tire step apparatus that exerts a forceful grip on the tire or wheel to assist in retaining the tire step in a desired position on the vehicle tire.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tire step apparatus which can be folded up into a storage orientation that is relatively compact when the apparatus is not in use.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.